NASSAU, The Bahamas – Some 3,000 fourth, fifth and sixth graders are set to benefit from a “massive” operation that is designed to promote a culture of peace among public primary school students.

The Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training and the Bahamas Crisis Centre (BCC) announced the anti-violence Green Ribbon Peace Campaign at a briefing Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at the Ministry’s headquarters, University Drive.

Ministry officials including the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister; Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary; and Dominique McCartney-Russell, Acting Director were on hand for the launch.  Also present were representatives of the BCC including Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson, Director, and Noelle Nicolls, Champions of Peace Curriculum Co-Developer.

Some 17 New Providence schools will participate in the campaign, set to begin on March 5, which focuses on KRC -- Kindness, Respect and Courage.

“There are some basic values that we are not seeing practiced that operate on a spectrum of violent and aggressive behavior,”said  Ms. Nicolls.

“We want to shift the culture, shift the mindset around how we treat each other, how we interact, how we relate to each other, how we perceive what it means, who is worthy of respect, how do we practice being respectful to each other, and how we perceive courage.

“We don’t look at courage as the courage to speak up, the courage to set a boundary, the courage to help someone in need, the courage to share or ask for help. There are many aspects of these values that we believe --  if as a culture young people, as adults, we could practice kindness more, teaching each other with respect, being courageous enough to speak up, to walk away then we can shift the underlying culture that is giving rise to violence, not just the extreme violence but the violence that is happening on an interpersonal level in our homes, schools, communities.”

Ms. Nicolls along with Rowena Poitier, Director, Bahamas Artist Movement, have designed a workshop and trained over 150 volunteers from 14 partner organizations including Zonta, Toastmasters, Rotary Clubs of The Bahamas, Kiwanis Clubs of The Bahamas, the Medical Association of The Bahamas, the Royal Bahamas School Violence Unit to conduct simultaneous sessions in the schools that include role play and discussions.

Dr. Dean-Patterson said the BCC recognizes the need to address the prevailing violence in the country. “There are things that we can do – actions, thoughts, belief systems that we have to confront and eliminate, and we have to, and can, make a difference.

“Our children are so accustomed to hearing about violence, seeing it, watching it and being exposed to it. They are almost becoming desensitized. What we know is that we have to address it,” she said.

“We need to name the positive behaviours and qualities that we want our children to understand and accept.

“We want children to buy into them, internalize them, understand them and behave with those qualities and thoughts. Our plan is to go into the individual classrooms -- grades 4, 5 and 6 multi-level, multi-compartmental, talk with them, interact with them and allow them to role play to understand what we are saying.”

Other activities include poetry, essay writing, logo, song, and poster competitions that will allow children to depict their understanding of the core values.

Furthermore, schools will be encouraged to create Peace Gardens on their campuses, and an intervention to provide sensitization for parents will also be offered.

It is hoped that tripartite peace councils will be established in the schools that include student champions for peace, teachers/administrators and parents.

Minister Hanna-Martin thanked the BCC for partnering with the Ministry.

“We require the participation and engagement of all stakeholders. The work that the BCC does in this nation is well known.

“We are very proud to partner with them. I am impressed at the widespread engagement and the massive impact that we expect from them,” she said.

'Green Ribbon Peace Campaign' press conference launch, February 28, 2024 at the Ministry of Education and Technical & Vocational Training --  a programme to encourage kindness and respectfulness in children.  Pictured from left: Mike Russell, Chair, Rotary Road to Peace Campaign; Lindsay Thompson, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Maudline Cooper, Volunteer, the Bahamas Crisis Centre; Noelle Nicolls, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre  and Programme Coordinator; the Hon. Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Education and Technical & Vocational Training; Dr. Sandra Dean-Patterson, Director, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Sandra Mackey, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Linelle Clarke, Volunteer, The Bahamas Crisis Centre; Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Technical & Vocational Training; and Dominique Russell, Acting Director of Education.    (BIS Photos/Anton Thompson)